The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-10
A LITTLE QUEEN.
BY SIDNEY DAYRE.

"a queen only i've years oldG excialm-
ed little Elsie in great surprise. "Why
mamma, you must be joking"
"No, indeed. Little Mercedes, only
five years old, is the Qceen OF Spain"
"a sure enough, really and truly queen.
mammal"
eyes"
Sand how did such little bit of q
thing get to be queen9"
ain very sad way, dear. Her father
died, and she was the only one who had
a right to the throne. See, here is her
picture in this magazine"
GA queenr' Elsie gazed with great in
terest at the round face and short straight
hair. Why, mamma, she looks just like
other little girls"
"Yes, she is just like other little girls,
only, perhaps, more to be pitied than
great many of them"
"Now you are surely joking, mamma.
Who could pity little girl who is
queen?"
"When you are older, my little daugh-
ter. you will understand more of the dan
gers and perplexities which may fall to
the lot of poor little Mercedes because
she is queen"
"Does she wear a gold crown all the
time and sit on great throne?" said
Elsie, still looking at the picture.
"No, suppose she plays about and
does a great many things that other
children do; only she has a great many
people to wait on her, and some OF them
treat her with great deal of politeness."
"Td like that" said Elsie, drawing
herself up. "Dear me! I'm most twice
as old as she is, and I'm not queen"
"No," said her mother, with smile at
her pathetic sigh.
"Tell me more about her, mamma"
"She and all her family are Catholics,
and when she was baby her mother ded-
icated her to the Virgin Mary, which
means that she promised for the little
one that she should always be faithful
follower of the Virgin. And every child
who is 30 dedicated wears nothing but
white: SO little Mercedes always wears
white. And because she is q person OF
so much Importance, all her attendants
wear white, too. Even the horses with
which she is taken out to ride are milk
white, and her carriages are white and
silver"
Elsie clapped her hands.
"Ob, how NIGEL Oh, mamma I'd like to
be a aueenl Just think of having on q
white dress for every day And it sounds
pretty, that being-whst did you call it?
to the Virgin. Mamma put her arm
around her.
"Dear little GIRL" she said, "do you
remember to whom you are dedicated?
Do you know that you are far happier In
being given to the dear Saviour, who
gathers little children in his loving arms,
than any such fanciful dedication could
ever make your"
Eyes, mamma, dear" said Elsie, meet
ing her earnest eyes with eyes as earnest
in their childlike frsnkness. "But L
would like to be queen. I'd like the
white dresses, and the beautiful horses,
and all the fine things. And I'd like to
have great many people to do what 1
say. I wish I could be little Mercedes"
"You cannot be Queen of Spain" said
mamma, "but you can still be queen II
you will. You will have plenty to do In
governing your own little heart, and you
are getting old enough to take your
kingdom in hand and rule it well. 1t
will give you enough to do. You ought
to see that only the best and sweetest
things are permitted to enter it. You
want to watch carefully to guard it from
the approach OF things ugly and sinful
wicked thoughts and evil passions. In
short, you want to make it fit place for
the Saviour to take his abode.
Elsie's blue eyes were full of thought
as she listened.
"And them" went on her mother, q
little girl like you can have much wider
kingdom than her own heart. She can
reign right royalty over the hearts of all
who may be about her. Her sweet smiles
and loving words, her little kindly acts
and ready service, will be more powerful
than crowns and thrones and sceptres.
Some of the little foreign princesses we
read of are very well brought up. They
are taught that nothing is more queenly
than good behavior, and the forgetting
Of themselves for the sake of others"
81 could be that kind of queen" said
Elsie.
She took another look at the face Of
little Mercedes and went out.
81 mean to be a queen" she said tC
herself. Yes, will. No one will know
it but myself, and / shall be little
queen. Just by being as good as 1 car
be. By keeping the bad things out and
letting the good things in. Yes, I'm go
ing to-"
"You are a dear little dutiful girl,
said mamma to her, not many days after
ward. Your reports from school show
that you are doing your very best there
And at home you are more patient wheI
the boys tease you, and more attentive
to mammals wishes. You are real littl'
comfort"
Elsie was delighted and looked up witt